NATSU:
I didn't want to open my eyes. The place reminded me of the Duke's dungeon and I had a stupid hope that if I never opened my eyes it would turn out to be a dream. At least this time I wasn't chained, with the exception of the ice cold collar. When they made the thing they probably had Gray in mind – it refused to warm up. It also bit into my skin and made it impossible to tilt my head. If anything, my jailer thought of me as his pet. The dragon's rage sparked up and I struggled to squash it back down, sweat forming on my face. It was getting harder each time, but when Lucy was with me the rage didn't come up. Lucy, with her big brown eyes and silky blonde hair, incredibly strong under a soft image. A smile tugged my lips as I pictured her concerned face, someone who could see past the monster. Even if she didn't know it, she helped me fight the curse. She pulled me out each time I got lost. She was there when I blacked out; hopefully she was safe. The guild would protect her from the Grimoire Heart bastards.
Heavy footsteps echoes through the room. "Rise and shine, my Dragon Slayer." The same greeting. My teeth clenched together. My right eye opened a fraction to take in the fat man leering at me from behind thick black bars. Two guards stood behind him, one holding a small remote. Quick surveillance took in three torches and a dark staircase in the right corner. The cage had three sides, the last one being part of the rock wall. My eye slid shut.
"I brought your treasure, my pet." He leered. The echo of protesting feet came down the stairs first, followed by sounds of muffled protests and only then the actual people. I inhaled the scent of dirt and soap with a thin covering of strawberry along with the metallic stench of blood. My eye jumped open. Two more guard held a frozen Lucy as she stared at me, her eyes alive with fear. A thick chunk of fabric covered her mouth. Her hands were chained in front with magic draining cuffs. The familiar rage rose without restraints as I took in her bruises and the dried blood crusted on her cheek. The bastards let her go and she stumbled to the bars, her bound hand reaching up to support her as she fell towards the cage. I scrambled up and ran to meet her, reaching out to cover her small hand with mine.
"Luce?" I whispered, my eyes searching hers. The relief was obvious. The fat bastard sneered at us before nodding to the guard. They came up to take Lucy and I had to bite my tongue as the rage washed over me. It was pointless. My left eye opened slowly and immediately my vision changed to a black and white mess. I let go of the bars and fell back, my head spinning as I tried to sort out what I was seeing. The room was covered in a dull grey and the guards were a solid black. The Duke was the same, a featureless black blob. Lucy was a pure white shape, and if I tried I could make out the faint outlines of her face and clothes. The rage split the world into good, bad, and whatever. I stood and clenched the bars, snarls ripping from my throat. The black blobs moved and a painful surge of magic ran through my body, forcing both eyes closed. The left eye stayed closed and the world returned to normal. Lucy was struggling in the guards' hands, her eyes locked firmly on my face. There was worry in them, far more worry than fear. The fat bastard waved his hand at them and they left, pulling Lucy with them. I tried to cover my hand in flames but the same shock that turned off the eye had stripped me of magic power. Pulling the bars apart did nothing.
"So the Enhancer was right. She's the treasure. Well, my Dragon Slayer, if you want to see your treasure again you should consider telling me what you saw with that eye of yours." The Duke's slimy voice vibrated in my head. I kept my mouth shut. His patience evaporated like Gray's ice in my flames: real quick. "Kill her."
"NO!" The rage built up and exploded before I could blink. Flames rushed through the room, anything flammable catching fire. Clothes included, mind you. More guards came rushing in to douse their master with water, saving his fat ass.
"Interesting." The Duke examined me like a new toy. "Well, don't kill her yet. I want to break this one in slowly. Let him hear her scream." He flicked his fingers and my sensitive hearing picked up the sound of a knife being drawn, the noise echoing off the stone walls.
"Don't. Touch. Her." I snarled. He just grinned and clapped once. The scent of fresh blood floated in from the staircase, but nothing more than a pained gasp was heard. He didn't know that Lucy was a lady, and ladies didn't scream. Still, hearing her gasp in pain sent a knife through me, like the pain was my own. The Duke looked up the stairs, confused. I stumbled back until I hit the wall and slid down. The rage vanished and left me exhausted, my magic at zero. With my head between my knees I heard him sigh before going up the stairs. A loud slap rang out and the collar sent electricity through me, forcing me unconscious.
LUCY:
The knife had hurt, but I refused to scream. That's what he wanted and I wouldn't give it to him. Being a lady had its benefits. When the Duke came up he was furious. His meaty hand landed a stinging slap on my face before he stormed down the hallway and up to his mansion. I got dumped in a small cell like last week's trash.
Something bad had happened when Natsu's left eye had opened. It was written on is face. I wanted to help him but I was no match for the two guards while I was so low on magic. I could barely stand. One thing I knew for certain: I was breaking Natsu out again, no matter what.
ERZA:
The battle left Fairy Tail on the floor, clutching their heads as their memories jumbled up until they could no longer tell reality from dreams. Mira was lost in a fit of rage and I was willing to bet that she had relived Lisanna's 'death'. The only two missing were Natsu and Lucy. We sent out search parties to the Duke's castle but he turned each request down. We couldn't hope to overpower him: his immense wealth would bribe even the fairest of judges. Master agreed with me in the fact that Lucy and Natsu were most likely in the Duke's hands.
When the attackers took out Natsu they vanished one by one, taking the two with them. I heard them say something about a treasure and each time I thought about what they could've meant I was taken back to the battle and Natsu's face when he heard Lucy scream. It was a terrifying mold of anger, worry, and panic. Lucy was very special to him, even though they had met only a few days ago. Out of everyone in the guild he'd gone to help her first, leaping over his writhing comrades.
"Erza-san, are you sure you're okay?" Wendy's voice brought me back from my thoughts. I met her worried gaze.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Are you thinking about Natsu-san?"
"Him and Lucy, yes."
"Erza!" Levy came running over, a fat book in her hands. Gajeel stomped up behind her, bickering about something with Lily. "I found something about the curse."
"What?" I spun to face her. We knew next to nothing about Natsu's curse and any new information was vital.
"It says here that the curse takes negative emotions and converts them to rage, acting as a fuel for scale growth. When the scales finish growing he'll lose the second eye and then his mind." She flipped to a marked page. "The only offered cure is temporary, but it says that he needs something to stabilize the anger. In other words, something comforting and pleasant."
"They called bunny-girl his treasure." Gajeel's rough voice cut in. "She's the stable thing or whatever. They'll use her to speed up the takeover process."
It was all making very grim sense.
"And then they think they'll be able to control it… We need to find them. Now." I snapped. "Break into the Duke's castle, take it down, whatever, but we cannot let Natsu lose his mind." Whatever the Duke was planning was doomed to fail. Controlling pure rage was an impossible task, especially when that rage was embodied by a dragon. History gave few examples but each one resulted in the death of millions. I began to round up the guild. We would be violating some laws, yes, but it was worth it if we could save the lives of so many innocents. Besides, Fairy Tail was infamous for our ability to wreak havoc.